Method and system for hierarchical management of a plurality of regions of an encoded surface used by a pen computer

• US 7,281,664 B1
• Filed: 10/05/2005
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Thaeler, Charles, Van Horn, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labaze; Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US11/244,653
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.49, 235/462.45, 235/462.46, 235/435, 235/487, 235/486, 235/472.03
• US Class Current: 235/462.49
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0321 by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus

Abstract

A method for hierarchical management of a plurality of regions of an encoded surface. The method includes recognizing unique encoded information on a portion of the surface in response to a pen computer touching down on the portion. A unique location of the portion of the surface is determined based on the unique encoded information. A region is determined out of the plurality of regions for the location. Upon the determination of the region, a determination is made as to whether the location is within a sub-region within the region. If the location is within a sub-region, a function of the pen computer is performed based on the sub-region. If the location is not within a sub-region, a function of the pen computer is performed based on the region.

Claims

1. A method for hierarchical management of a plurality of regions of an encoded surface, comprising:

in response to a pen computer touching down on a portion of the surface, recognizing unique encoded information on the portion;

determining a unique location of the portion of the surface based on the unique encoded information;

determining a region of the plurality of regions for the location;

upon determination of the region, determine whether the location is within a sub-region within the region;

if the location is within a sub-region, performing a function of the pen computer based on the sub-region; and

if the location is not within a sub-region, performing a function of the pen computer based on the region.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a memory resident look-up table of the pen computer based on the location to determine the region associated with the portion, wherein the look-up table is configured to store a plurality of region lists associated with a plurality of regions.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

traversing the region list based on the location to determine the sub-region associated with the portion.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

traversing the sub-region based on the location to determine whether the location is within a lower sub-region associated with the portion; and

if the location is within the lower sub-region, performing a function of the pen computer on the lower sub-region.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of region lists comprises an application identifier corresponding to the application related to the region.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of region lists comprises an overlay order parameter corresponding to a processing order of the region with respect to a plurality of other regions.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

traversing a plurality of overlay order parameters of the plurality of region lists to determine at least one currently active region list; and

transferring the at least one currently active region list from lower speed memory to higher-speed memory.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the higher speed memory comprises RAM and the lower speed memory comprises Flash memory.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein for each region having a sub-region, the respective region list comprises a sub-region pointer to the sub-region.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the region is a predetermined static region related to a predetermined application.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the region is a dynamic region defined at runtime of the pen computer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the dynamic region is user defined.

13. A pen computer system comprising:

a writing instrument;

an optical sensor coupled to a bus for detecting encoded information printed on a writing surface;

a processor coupled to the bus for determining a location of a pen tip with respect to the writing surface based on the encoded information; and

a memory coupled to the bus, the memory storing computer readable code which when executed by the processor causes the pen computer system to implement a method for hierarchical management of a plurality of regions comprising;

determining a region of the plurality of regions for the location;

upon determination of the region, determine whether the location is within a sub-region within the region;

if the location is within a sub-region, performing a function of the pen computer based on the sub-region; and

if the location is not within a sub-region, performing a function of the pen computer based on the region.

14. The pen computer system of claim 13, further comprising:

accessing a memory resident look-up table of the pen computer based on the location to determine the region associated with the portion, wherein the look-up table is configured to store a plurality of region lists associated with a plurality of regions.

15. The pen computer system of claim 14, further comprising:

traversing the region list based on the location to determine the sub-region associated with the portion.

16. The pen computer system of claim 15, further comprising:

traversing the sub-region based on the location to determine whether the location is within a lower sub-region associated with the portion; and

if the location is within the lower sub-region, performing a function of the pen computer on the lower sub-region.

17. The pen computer system of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of region lists comprises an application identifier corresponding to the application related to the region.

18. The pen computer system of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of region lists comprises an overlay order parameter corresponding to a processing order of the region with respect to a plurality of other regions.

19. The pen computer system of claim 18, further comprising:

traversing a plurality of overlay order parameters of the plurality of region lists to determine at least one currently active region list; and

transferring the at least one currently active region list from lower speed memory to higher-speed memory.

20. The pen computer system of claim 19, wherein the higher speed memory comprises RAM and the lower speed memory comprises Flash memory.

21. The pen computer system of claim 14, wherein for each region having a sub-region, the respective region list comprises a sub-region pointer to the sub-region.

22. The pen computer system of claim 13, wherein the region is a predetermined static region related to a predetermined application.

23. The pen computer system of claim 13, wherein the region is a dynamic region defined at runtime of the pen computer.

24. The pen computer system of claim 23, wherein the dynamic region is user defined.

25. A method for hierarchical management of a plurality of regions of an encoded surface, comprising:

in response to a pen computer touching down on a portion of the surface, recognizing unique encoded information on the portion;

determining a unique location of the portion of the surface based on the unique encoded information;

determining a region of the plurality of regions for the location;

upon determination of the region, determine whether the location is within a sub-region within the region;

if the location is within a sub-region, performing a function of the pen computer based on the sub-region;

if the location is not within a sub-region, performing a function of the pen computer based on the region; and

accessing a memory resident look-up table of the pen computer based on the location to determine the region associated with the portion, wherein the look-up table is configured to store a plurality of region lists associated with a plurality of regions.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

traversing the region list based on the location to determine the sub-region associated with the portion.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

traversing the sub-region based on the location to determine whether the location is within a lower sub-region associated with the portion; and

if the location is within the lower sub-region, performing a function of the pen computer on the lower sub-region.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein each of the plurality of region lists comprises an application identifier corresponding to the application related to the region, an overlay order parameter corresponding to a processing order of the region with respect to a plurality of other regions, and, for each region having a sub-region, a sub-region pointer to the sub-region.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

traversing a plurality of overlay order parameters of the plurality of region lists to determine at least one currently active region list; and

transferring the at least one currently active region list from Flash memory to RAM memory.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the region is a predetermined static region related to a predetermined application.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the region is a user defined dynamic region created at runtime of the pen computer.